1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a molding apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Molding apparatuses are widely used for manufacturing optical articles, such as light guide plates, lenses, and so on. For lenses, concentricity of the two opposing surfaces is an important factor in molding precision.
Referring to FIG. 8, a typical molding apparatus 10 for molding an optical lens 12 includes a first mold part 100 and a second mold part 110 facing the first mold part 100. A first mold core 120 and a second mold core 130 are mounted in the first mold part 100 and the second mold part 110, respectively. The first mold core 120 has a first curved molding surface 122, and the second mold core 130 has a second curved molding surface 132 facing the first curved molding surface 122. The first molding surface 122 is aligned with the second molding surface 132 and a molding chamber is defined therebetween.
As shown in FIG. 8, when assembling the first and the second mold parts 100 and 110 together, a loss of concentricity may occur between the first and the second molding surfaces 122 and 132. This leads to difficulty in assembly and disassembly of the first and the second mold parts 100 and 110, and abrasion of the mold cores 120 and 130 may occur after repeated use. In addition, disassembly and modification of the whole molding apparatus may be needed, reducing efficiency and increasing cost.
Therefore, a molding apparatus is desired to overcome the above-described deficiencies.